Trapped in Tradition: Gender Norms and the Cost of Marital Survival for Women in Rural Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

In rural Punjab, Pakistan, deep rooted gender norms dictate all issues about women and determine their position in their marriage or in the society. These hard-and-fast rules continue to put women in an endless loop of inequality where they are trapped in the old transformations of the wife and mother thus causing their lack of self-determination to flourish. The unending stress of maintaining the marital stability is being paid at a very high price to their socio-emotional, psychological and physical health. This responsibility is further aggravated by societal expectations and the overwhelming patriarchal dominance in the family that women have to denounce their health, happiness and agency to uphold the family honour and keep up the facade of a happy marriage. This qualitative research investigates how traditional gender norms affect the survival of marriages among women in the rural Punjab in Pakistan in four districts namely Gujrat, Sargodha, Multan and D.G. Khan. The study, based on semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and participant observations, and document analysis, explores the roles of gender expectations, rituals, discrimination, and socioeconomic issues in marriage relationships. The results indicate that women are usually confined in unhealthy marriage because of the stigma attached to divorce, the influence of the society to keep the family honour, as well as the economic dependence. The research sheds light on a high emotional burden, illness, and lack of autonomy that women experience in Punjab countryside, which is aggravated by the lack of access to education, health, and family resources.